As the semester reaches its midpoint, this month’s edition of the S.P.A.C.E. Newsletter highlights the momentum driving our Knights forward. From college leaders hosting collaborative, cross-disciplinary seminars across to UCF researchers embarking on exciting expeditions in the South Pacific and alumni making significant contributions nationwide, this season reflects the energy and commitment that define the College of Sciences.

As the executive director at the Space Coast Office of Tourism, Peter Cranis ’84 ’88MA wants visitors and residents to experience the sense of wonder he feels every day at his job. From the rush of a rocket launch to the thrill of catching a wave to the joy of exploring natural and wild spaces — all only a 45-minute drive from Orlando — Cranis and his team have been a driving force behind the revival of Florida’s Space Coast as a premium, sought-out destination.

When Dr. Stephanie Schmiedecke Barbieri first arrived at the University of Central Florida, her future seemed mapped out. Encouraged by her father, an engineer for Procter and Gamble, she planned to pursue environmental engineering. Instead, her time at UCF revealed a different calling — one that would lead her into optometry, academic leadership, and her current role as Dean of the School of Optometry at the University of the Incarnate Word.

The India Center brought students, staff, faculty, community leaders and international partners together to celebrate India’s Republic Day, an occasion defined by democratic ideals, cultural pride and expanding global collaboration. The annual event reflects the center’s growing role as a hub for academic exchange, research dialogue and community engagement between UCF and India and showcased the center’s support for student experiential learning, scholarships, and cross-cultural programs that prepare the next generation of global leaders.

Countless larvae move through the ocean currents every day, and UCF researchers are taking a closer look at how these larvae travel and keep distant reefs connected. Led by Associate Professor of Biology Michelle Gaither, DisKer (Dispersal Kernel) is a collaborative research project that examines the movements of these tiny larvae, utilizes innovative genetic and oceanographic modeling methods. Its success is rooted in partnerships with researchers that span across continents. Together, they are working to track these connections and strengthen the understanding of how reefs across the Pacific are connected by dispersal.

Wildlife researchers today collect unprecedented amounts of animal movement data. From passerine birds outfitted with lightweight GPS backpacks to elephants collared with GPS devices as heavy as car batteries, location data have become central to conservation biology, ecology, and wildlife management. At the UCF Workshop on Mathematical Biology and Differential Equations, Christen Fleming, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology, discussed his research which focuses on developing continuous-time stochastic process models that more accurately describe how animals move and how scientists should interpret movement. 

To advance cross-interdisciplinary research and collaboration, Interim Associate Dean of Research and Facilities Nichole Lighthall, convened faculty from communication, chemistry and psychology for a seminar titled “Avatars and AI Virtual Agents in the Sciences: From Basic Perceptions to Performance and Learning Applications.” The event explored how avatar-based systems and AI-driven agents are reshaping human behavior across various contexts.

Innovation met curiosity as the College of Sciences engaged future scientists, alumni and the Central Florida community at Spark STEM Fest.

Presented by the UCF Office of Research, Spark STEM Fest is an annual celebration of science and innovation held at the Orlando Science Center. The event brings together researchers, students and community members for hands-on exhibits and demonstrations designed to showcase real-world discovery and inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. Through these experiences, attendees explored a variety of scientific fields and gained a deeper understanding of how research shapes the world around them.

As a Facilities Specialist II for the College of Sciences, Raevaun Clarke plays a key role in keeping operations running smoothly behind the scenes. Working closely with staff and faculty, he supports the day-to-day needs of college spaces and facilities — from coordinating space-related requests to managing building and security access.  

In addition to facilities support, Raevaun serves as the IT liaison for the COS Dean’s Office. Acting as a bridge between the office and central IT, he helps troubleshoot technical issues, coordinate technology requests and ensure that systems and equipment effectively support both administrative and academic operations.  

What Raevan enjoys most about his position is the ever-changing nature each day brings him. 

“My day-to-day can always look different, and two weeks rarely look the same. Some weeks run smoothly and predictably, while others require quick problem-solving and flexibility,” he says. “I like the contrast.” 

That adaptability extends to his favorite moments as well. One summer between semesters, when campus scooters were first introduced, Raevaun shares that he and a few colleagues enjoyed their lunch break to ride around campus — a lighthearted experience that added to the sense of community within the college. 

Outside of work, he remains deeply connected to campus life as a coach for the university’s co-ed rowing club, Central Florida Rowing. He shares that rowing is a passion that began as a student and continued after graduation through coaching. 

“We won nationals in 2022 as the fastest in the nation,” he says. 

Much of Raevaun’s time outside the office is still spent on campus, often near the water or at evening practice. Staying involved through rowing has provided another meaningful way to remain connected to the university community — both professionally and personally.

The Charge | Written by: Orion Boone 

The Bug Closet is ready to expand its collection and reopen after being under renovation since July 2025. 

The UCF Collection of Arthropods is colloquially known as the "Bug Closet" because of its humble beginnings as a custodial closet. The researchers returned to the space this month and tours will resume in March. 

The Bug Closet is one of the largest fully databased insect collections in the world, sitting at over 575,000 specimens. Around 70% of the collection’s holdings were collected in Florida, with more than 60% of the entire collection being from the Central Florida area. The remodel will allow that number to grow even larger.

The Charge | Written by: Orion Boone 

Three UCF students will send an experiment up to the International Space Station to study kidney stone development in a microgravity environment. 

It will launch on Mission 21 to the space station in mid-August on a SpaceX rocket. 

The experiment is part of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education’s Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. The project’s team consists of sophomore electrical engineering major Sammi Jones, senior biomedical sciences major Andrei Nesterenko and junior physics major Reese Laushot.

National Geographic 

Life may look like a paradise for beetles living in ant colonies. Plump, wriggling ant larvae and helpless eggs sit waiting to be devoured, while hundreds of thousands of ants stand at the ready to ward off predators and parasites. There’s just one catch for these beetles, revealed in a new study published in the journal Cell. If one leaves the ant colony, it’ll be dead in less than a day. 

 “I have always been curious about why [the beetles] don’t persist when they’re separated from their ant hosts,” says Christina Kwapich, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Central Florida and author of The Guests of Ants: How Myrmecophiles Interact with Their Hosts.  

“I guess I always thought they weren’t being fed or weren’t eating enough, but it’s true, the amount of time it would take to dry out is much more rapid than the amount of time it would take to starve.”

Travel Host 

Botanic gardens are among some of the best attractions to stop by in any city you’re touring. Not only are they visually stunning, they often tell the native plant story of the area. They are also hubs of preservation and research. According to Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the world’s botanic gardens house at least 30% of all known plant species, with 41% of them classed as “threatened.” 

Arboretum at the University of Central Florida: This 80-acre arboretum features more than 600 plant species and scenic walking and biking trails through flatwoods and scrub habitats, giving visitors a deeper look at Florida’s native ecosystems.

Alabama Public Radio 

Valentine’s Day is a time for a heart shaped boxes of chocolates, flowers, Champagne, and of course, dinner reservations. Alabama is one of 22 states where romantic couples can get reservations at their local Waffle House. 

The website for the restaurant chain lists two outlets in Huntsville, two in Guntersville, as well as Vestavia Hills, Daphne, and Millbrook among others where romantic couples can get white table cloth service along with the favorites that reportedly made Waffle House a billion dollar franchise that rarely advertises. 

APR News spoke with author Ty Matejowsky, who teaches anthropology at the University of Central Florida, about it. He wrote the book “Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary” for University of Alabama Press.

WGEM 

The New York Times reports Americans over 70 control $53 trillion in wealth and cybercrime against elders is skyrocketing! The Federal Trade Commission reports older adults lost $2.4 billion to scams last year, a sharp increase from just a few years ago. Now, a new study is taking a closer look at what really makes someone vulnerable and why even people who think they’re scam-proof may not be. 

A new study led by researchers at the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and the University of Miami had participants shown fake news articles, fraudulent emails, videos of people lying and even AI deepfakes designed to mirror real-world scams. 

“We’re studying some of the ways that we could detect if someone has a particular vulnerability in the social emotional space,” said Nichole Lighthall, PhD, associate professor of psychology at University of Central Florida.

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